Starting 1 April 2026, residents in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, will have more time to visit local tips as recycling centres move to their summer opening hours. Both the Cowen Road and Campground sites will be open from 9am to 6pm every day to help people get rid of household waste during the busier spring and summer months.
The change applies to the Cowen Road site in Blaydon and the Campground facility in Wrekenton. While Cowen Road is only for people living in Gateshead, the site at Campground also serves residents from Sunderland. Both locations are run by Gateshead Council and stay open all year round, except for Christmas Day.
Anyone planning a visit must book a time slot in advance using an online booking system. Councillor John McElroy, who looks after the environment for the council, previously explained that this system helps to reduce long queues and traffic problems at the sites. Residents using the Campground site should also note there is a height barrier of 2.3 metres at the entrance.
These local services are part of a wider agreement called the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership. The facilities are operated by a company called SUEZ, which manages waste for around 285,000 homes in the region. The extended summer hours will remain in place until 30 September 2026, when the centres return to closing earlier on weekdays.
